Interfacing with the Origin: Ragnarok
by GingerFloof26
Summary: In this offshoot of the Avengers/Aperture series, Loki and GLaDOS face off against the Combine in a battle of epic proportions. With Loki on the verge of madness and his wife, Tala, missing, will their muns/writers be able to guide them to a solution in time? NOTE: This is the sequel to the Portal fanfic "Saved to Memory." Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Hi there! I'm GingerFloof26, alias Melody Constance. My partner in crime, ApextheRed, alias Natasha Philmore, has helped me to write a series based on the combined worlds of the Avengers and Portal fandoms.

If you haven't read any of our fics yet, here are a few things you need to know before starting:

1. Loki is awesome. He had issues with the Tesseract incident, but he's trying to make up for that now.

2. Norse mythology is pretty much canon.

3. The Avengers series is canon.

4. Loki has a wife named Tala. She is of a dragon race known as the Aer. In her humanoid form she possesses wings, horns, pointed ears, and a tail. In her default form she is a full fledged dragon.

5. Loki has a son named Jorg. In Norse mythology, he was the World Serpent. This is a misunderstanding; he is simply a half-dragon (see 4). Jorg has a younger brother named Fenrir, who is part wolf.

6. GLaDOS is a snarky ball of awesome. She had issues in the past, but they were fixed via some reprogramming. (see 7, 8, and 9.)

7. Portal 1 and 2 are canon.

8. Melody and Natasha have the ability, as do you, to alter events in their characters worlds by simply writing them.

9. Among these altered events are A) GLaDOS now lacks a testing initiative and is no longer insane, B) Tala has disappeared completely from a lack "page time."


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so, where to start? I guess I should introduce myself...I'm Mel, GLaDOS' mun. If you haven't guessed already, this series is blatant self-insert and the characters will be breaking the fourth wall all the freaking time.

"I will not," stated Loki, with a grin.

"You're doing it right this minute," snarked GLaDOS, hiding a grin of her own.

Loki shrugged, "You can't prove it."

Well _I_ can. I can hear you both.

Loki shrugged again, and flipped his hair out of his face. "You know, you can't actually prove anything. No one can prove anything, it's all perception, and no one can prove that their own perception is the only perception. Of course-"

"Dad, you're being weird again." Fenrir grunted.

Wait. What is Fenrir doing in Aperture labs? Just curious.

Fenrir- now a tall, muscular young man with steel grey hair and icy blue eyes- shrugged. "I came to keep him from getting weird. I've already failed, it seems."

Oh dear. I do hope you only arrived just now, GLaDOS and I were rather busy last night…

GLaDOS cleared her throat "Testing out the mobile units capabilities. That's all."

"Huh, that's what you're calling it these days. Fen, where's your brother?" Loki smirked, turning to his younger son.

Fenrir grinned wolfishly, "Spying, or so he claims."

Ah, typical Jorg.

"Yes, typical." Loki said, smiling just enough that you can tell he's hiding some sadness.

Oh. Well. Um. Down to business then.

We, the Muns, have gathered you here to start a new quest- namely the destruction of the Combine and the liberation of Tala.

The mention of the name made Loki smile again, this time genuine. "That's why Jorg was out spying-he's looking for some weakness in the Combine's defense. He should be back by now."

GLaDOS poked ineffectually at the campfire with a stick. "I wonder what could be keeping him…"

"I'm guessing your speaking of the human girl, Jo. That's not an issue anymore." Loki said, kicking a stone into the fire.

GLaDOS sighed heavily. "Muns, we could use some input. Just how and where do your previous writing coincide with this new 'adventure'?"

_I'm still trying to figure out this whole 'Mun' thing. But, regardless, there's many approaches we could take. You could strike at the Combine's heart with all the force of a legendary Trickster and of course, with Dragon's Fire. Or, you could take a more technological approach-hack into their systems using that same Trickster and his Dragons as a distraction. Of course, I'm just here to give you advice-this is your story, GLaDOS._

"Ahem." Loki cleared his throat.

_And you, Loki. Always you._

So it looks like we make this up as we go, right Nat?

_Not necessarily. We can brainstorm, we can use all the powers of forethought and planning to make this go smoothly. We're the writers, we know all the answers, but we can't just give them to the characters._

"Is there anyway I can bribe you to give up those secrets?" Loki said, with a grin as innocent as a baby viper.

_No, Loki, you should know better. We have the secrets, but if you had them all then no one would care to read. So, first things first. Do we take a Bold approach or a Subtle one?_

Loki narrowed his eyes, "I'm quite upset with this whole situation, so I cast my vote for Fire. Everything burns, remember that, GLaDOS." The way he stood, it was as though he was dragging the shadows to him. "I want to watch them suffer, and hear their screams. No more nice Trickster. No more silliness. It's time for Ragnarok."

Well fu-

"I'll not have you lose your precious 'recommend' over something as trivial as a swear word, Mel," GLaDOS admonished. "I'd be all for Loki's plan if it weren't for the times I'd been burned myself. SOME caution must be exercised."

"But screaming...screaming I can agree with." The firelight danced off of her yellow optics in a menacing way.

"Caution is a pitiful excuse for cowardice, GLaDOS. I have brought two dragons and myself, and I can bring the God of Thunder if need be, but I won't let them escape. Not this time." Loki hissed, casting a bright powder onto the flames, causing them to flare green.

"Need I remind you of New York?" GLaDOS stood and stepped closer to the emerald flames. "You used no restraint there. That was one of your downfalls."

"That was different." He hissed leaning forward over the flame, dark shadows played across his face as he inched closer to the android. "They were innocent, and I was mistaken. But, have you forgotten the ancient legends which brought me forth? I'm the Harbinger of Ragnarok. I am the bringer of Frost and Flame. I'm going mad, GLaDOS, I'm the one who must scourge the Earth and bring forth a new era of peace. How can I do that if there are so many innocent lives in the way?"

GLaDOS frowned. One of those innocent lives was Chell's, she was certain of that. No matter what the muns/writers deemed fit to create, Chell would remain. Somehow she had to ensure that the tenacious mute lunatic survived this purging. Of course, there was always the tracker she had embedded in her, but would it be right to break her spirit and drag her back to the very place she'd tried so hard to escape from? To shatter her fragile illusions of freedom and independence?

"Fine," she declared at last. "But let me find Chell first."

Loki bared his teeth, it might have been a smile if the wicked green light weren't dancing across his pale features. "Fine. But, tread lightly-my son is also there and if your actions to find Chell endanger him in any way..." He trailed off, the silence was oddly threatening.

GLaDOS raised an eyebrow. "You really are going mad. Would I endanger Jorg? Seriously?"

Loki stopped, shook his head and stepped away from the fire. "I... What am I saying?"

Fenrir rested a large hand on his father's shoulder. "You're getting weird."

Loki nodded and sat down, "I know. It's getting worse. Something's happened here, something to trigger the events of Ragnarok." He pointed upwards, at the ceiling, but implying the sky. "When was the last time it rained?"

GLaDOS shook her head, "I haven't been out on the surface in ages...I've only fortified the facility from within."

"Crops failing, livestock dying, no rain, drought, famine and no children... all of these are signs of Ragnarok. If this is happening, then all of us Aesir, Vanir and Jotun will end up falling into the Old Stories." Loki shrugged, "I'm a creature of story, GLaDOS, I can't fight what I am."

GLaDOS hesitated. They could risk a trip to the surface, couldn't they? The elevator only required a minimum of power. Yet she was afraid she already knew the answers.

"Loki...the Combine are undoubtedly causing all of the signs of Ragnarok up there." She gestured vaguely at the ceiling as well. "From what information I was able to scrounge from the Black Mesa databases, they've effectively stopped childbirth, destroyed much of civilization, and will continue unabated unless something drastic happens."

"But," she continued, "As you reminded me only yesterday, we aren't creatures of destiny. We shape our own stories. And we have our writers to help us!"

He pressed his palm against his head, "You're right, GLaDOS. It's this place, it's getting to me. Please forgive me, my friend. We'll save Chell first, don't worry."

"You need to sit down, father, you're not well." Fenrir said pushing down on Loki's shoulder gently.

Hey Loki? I just thought of something. Assuming the multiverse theory is true, there should be multiple Ragnaroks. And you've had to come through them one way or the other. Odds are that this one could turn out differently.

"They never do." Loki said, quietly. "I always go mad, hurt people I love...It's not good for the psyche. But, GLaDOS is right, I'm the master of my destiny, not some old stories. Maybe, together, we can overcome this."

Then by gosh, Nat and I are going to write the most epic Ragnarok/Portal fanfic ever.


	3. Chapter 3

So Nat, I'm looking at Ragnarok in Wikipedia, and the whole thing is an incomprehensible mess. Would you like to dumb it down for us poor uneducated morons who don't understand Norse mythology? (I'm sure our fanbase would appreciate it. And yes, we do have a fanbase.)

_Oh, yeah, perusing the Wikipedia files on Ragnarok often leads to confusion. The idea is that after a long imprisonment, Loki-God of Mischief and one-time ally of the Gods of Asgard- will go mad from his torture and rally the forces of evil against the Gods. Jotun, Dragons, Fire Giants, Dark Elves will all fight on his side. He will do battle with Heimdall and both will be slain, Jorgmandr will kill Thor, Fenrir will kill Tyr-God of Battle- and all of the Gods and their mortal allies will be slain. But, there will be two survivors-two humans. But the signs of Ragnarok are famine, disease, war, drought, sunless skies, the fall of civilization and no more Earthquakes. That's the basics at least, pulled from all the books of mythology I've read._

_Keep in mind, our situation is different. This is a different Loki, with different sons._

"I CAN HEAR YOU!" Loki shouted from under his cloak. He had balled up next to the fire with his cloak around him as he thought happy thoughts about his situation. "I'm not thinking 'happy thoughts'. Jorg's not back. I'm worried."

GLaDOS, if you would be so kind?

GLaDOS sighed. "I'm on it." She booted up the outer security cameras. It was disheartening to see the disheveled wheat fields atop Aperture baking away in the relentless sun, and the tromped-down path Jorg had left through them upon exiting was painfully obvious. There was, however, no sign of his return. That left one option.

Birds.

GLaDOS let out a piercing whistle. Down from the eaves of the chamber swooped monstrous black crows- and not just measly old Midgardian crows, either. These killing machines had descended from the lineage of the ominous messenger birds of Odin himself. It was his gift to the AI in return for her aid to his son and grandsons.

"Mr. Chubby Beak II, Mayor Razor Talons, and Miss Fuss and Feathers, head up three divisions and check the perimeter. Be back within the hour. Dismissed!" GLaDOS snapped.

With a fluttering of wings, the crows departed.

Loki flopped back onto his back, "I need a chocolate, or mead, or something. I feel somewhere between light-headed and a migraine. Where's Fen run off to?"

"He'd better not be gnawing on any delicate machinery," GLaDOS threatened. "I'll swat him with a newspaper if he is."

Loki rolled back up, and shook his head, "No, he's been over that for ages. The narrative's all messed up, you missed out on quite a few years of his life. Hence the being seven feet tall and as muscular as Thor, he's been a menace since...Since his mother disappeared."

GLaDOS sat back down on the floor. Dropped, really. She'd always taken Tala so much for granted that she hardly knew what to do now that she was missing. It was like waking up to find out that you'd accidently deleted a program vital to your system maintenance. Things like that could drive an AI insane, or a Trickster God mad.

"We'll get her back," she said, half defensively.

Loki put his knees up, just to hang his head between them. "I'm afraid, GLaDOS. What if my sons are under the same influences as I am?" He waved his hand around the facility. "What if they go feral?"

A barking laugh from the door startled Loki, "Not likely, dad. I was just out scouting. Combine don't seem to notice a lone wolf, even one as big as I." It was Fenrir, but not as he had been before. He was a monstrous wolf, with a silver-grey pelt and a pair of icy-white horns protruding behind his ears. "Hello, Aunty Gladys."

'Aunty Gladys' had jumped to her feet in fright and was holding up a crow feather in self defense. "Hello, Fen," she replied, dropping the feather and gingerly relaxing from her defensive stance.

"I saw Jorg while I was out, but I couldn't get close to him. He's taken up refuge on one of the towers-he likes flaunting his wings." Fenrir flicked an ear and bared his teeth, it might have been a smile. "But, he's uninjured and undetected by the Combine. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"Trailing a pet headcrab behind him, most likely," grumbled GLaDOS.

Fenrir made a face, his crimson tongue lolling out of his toothy jaws. "Ugh, those things taste awful."

Loki placed his palms over his eyes, "I... I just told GLaDOS you were over putting everything in your mouth. We need to make a battle plan, and once that's cemented we need to get to your brother and let him know. GLaDOS, once the crows get back, we'll have them take a message to Jorg."

Fenrir sat on the floor, his tail wagging, "What is the plan, father? Fire? Poison? Frost?"

Loki laid back down, lacing his fingers behind his head. "We'll take a higher path this time, GLaDOS will be the main weapon in this, we'll just play as a distraction. You will harass their flanks, bleed the ground troops. Jorg will provide aerial support-take out they're fliers and kite them away from GLaDOS' objective."

"And you?" Fenrir asked, licking his chops.

Loki grinned up at the ceiling. "General mischief. They have a lot of very interesting machinery out there, and I've heard that many of their siege weapons have biological components. That's the key... Biology can be fooled with a simple application of magic."

Fenrir bared his teeth, "Seriously, what are you going to do?"

Loki sighed, "I'm going to hijack a tank, Fen. I think that some heavy armament will satisfy my rage quite nicely."

GLaDOS's yellow optics glinted wickedly. "What was the expression you muns used for those Olympic Ceremonies? Oh, yes. Let the games begin." With a shiccckk noise, catlike claws sprang from her fingertips, and blades projected from her elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. For good measure she stretched casually and a sawlike blade popped out of her spine. Smiling and displaying newly sharpened canine teeth, she asked Loki, "Lethal enough for you?"

"Odin's Beard." Loki hissed. "That looks good. Your first objective should be freeing the besieged human survivors."

If they don't piss themselves upon seeing her.

_If they haven't over Jorgmandr, then I think they'll be fine._

You've got a point, Nat. And I have a feeling the rest of Ragnarok is going to be scary as heck so why not start is off with a bang?

"Ragnarok is always terrifying." Loki said, hanging his head again. "It's my fault."

Not necessarily. From what I was able to gather, pretty much everyone goes bezerk. But- um, not this time, necessarily.

"I'm not going to." Fenrir growled.

"And I certainly don't intend to," added GLaDOS.

Fenrir howled with laughter, "You look feral already!"

"And you don't?"

"I'm magnificent, and I can lick my own-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, FENRIR!" Loki shouted, springing to his feet.

*cough*


End file.
